A.S. EVPLA: Public Notice About Proposed Amendment to County Noise Ordinance

The Office of the External Vice President for Local Affairs (EVPLA) has worked for years to promote a positive relationship between the public and our law enforcement. It is in this spirit that I would like to inform the public of a recent, and very important development.

On Thursday, Aug. 11, at the Isla Vista Community Network Meeting (a monthly public meeting of residential, student, University, County and Law Enforcement officials) the Sheriff’s Department informed the public that they are proposing an amendment to County Ordinance 40-2, the noise ordinance. The amendment would change the quiet hours on Friday and Saturday nights to 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., from 12 a.m. to 7 a.m. The Sheriff Department proposes this amendment as a means to reduce crime from the hours of 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. This proposal will be initially heard by the County Board of Supervisors on Sep. 12. In light of the majority of students being away at this time, a concern many members of the Isla Vista Community Network raised, Lieutenant Ruben Cintron has requested that the meeting be pushed to Sep. 22 to allow for students to first return to Isla Vista.

This letter serves as a notice to the community of this development and represents student’s continued commitments to community oriented policing. The official opinion of the External Vice President of Local Affairs office is to oppose this amendment. It is my belief that this does not fall in line with the kinds of community based police practices that we have developed over the past two years. Similar policies such as zero tolerance enforcement of music during the day on Deltopia 2014 was assumed to be an effective tool to reduce crime and increase public safety. The following year, due to community discussions, enforcement of day time music was relaxed and expectations from police were clearly communicated to residents. In partnership with UCIV Volunteers, there was a 26 percent reduction in arrests, 21 percent reduction in citations and 82 percent reduction in medical transports in 2015 compared to 2014. Crime in Isla Vista has dropped 20 percent in the past two years, as reported by the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s office.This was accomplished by creating partnerships with law enforcement and by communicating our shared community expectations, something the Sheriff’s Department proudly claims on their website.

If we return to enforcement styles that harshly impose these expectations on a community, I believe it will undo the trust and partnerships we have worked to establish. The EVPLA office is working with a wide range of stakeholders to determine the collective response to this proposition and ways to continue the amazing work we have done in our community. We remain committed to our partners in law enforcement and urge residents to engage in a productive conversation to achieve our shared interests. More information on the EVPLA’s official position and community meetings to discuss this matter are forthcoming.

If you have any questions concerning this proposition, I urge you to reach out to me at evpla@as.ucsb.edu.

Sincerely,
Ashcon Minoiefar
External Vice President for Local Affairs

Austin Hechler
President

Natalie Jordan
Internal Vice President

Neha Nayak
External Vice President for Local Affairs

Josephine Ampaw
Student Advocate General

UPDATE:

August 14, 10:01 a.m.: This letter has been updated at the author’s request with the signatures of all A.S. executives.